When Matt Hancock was revealed to be one of the 'celebrities' taking part in I'm a Celebrity last year, the UK seemed to universally groan.
Hancock was the face of the pandemic and expected to lead by example. Instead, Hancock chose to have an affair with aide Gina Coladangel and break his own guidance, leading to his dismissal.
Whilst on the ITV show last year he was given the chance to explain his behaviour. "Well, it's obviously been... it was really tough," the former Health Secretary said.
"I messed up and I fessed up, right? I resigned. And there's no excuse, but I fell in love, right?"
**** off.
Babatúndé asks former Health Secretary Matt Hancock how things have been “because you messed up”. Matt explains he just “fell in love”
— Dionne Grant (@DionneGrant) November 10, 2022
Babatúndé: “You didn’t just fall in love. You were grabbing the booty” #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/igUk6pAhhT
Hancock himself admitted to Hugo Keith KC, counsel to the Covid inquiry, that the UK's planning to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic "was wrong".
Over 200,000 people died of Covid in the UK. This death rate is five per cent higher than larger European nations including Germany and France, according to BBC analysis.
This man is now a 'celebrity' because ITV gave him a platform to endear himself to the public night after night. The aforementioned universal groan, eventually became "Oh lay off him!", and "Poor bloke, hasn't he been through enough" as ITV successfully changed the rhetoric.
He's gone on to appear on Channel 4's Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins and will likely make other appearances on mainstream TV.
You may say "Oh change the record!", well, why? This is about to happen again, with Nigel Farage.
Therapist: Matt Hancock lip syncing to I’m Just Ken on tiktok can’t hurt you.
— S (@carbdiem) August 6, 2023
Matt Hancock lip syncing to I’m Just Ken on tiktok: pic.twitter.com/va2b9ujbnk
In a video posted to social media on Tuesday (14 November), the former UKIP leader said he’s taking part in the show because of a “big new audience to talk to, a proper test... and the money’s (reportedly £1.5million) really good.”
Regarding his motivation for appearing on the show, Farage said he has been “demonised” over the years and wants to show people he is not “mean-spirited, small-minded, nasty”.
People say you shouldn't be judged for things you've said in your teens or another lifetime, so here are a few of Nigel's 'transgressions' from the past decade only:
- In 2013 Nigel said he supports Muslim immigrants who “integrate” into society, but not those that are “coming here to take us over”.
- In a 2014 interview on LBC, Nigel said he felt “uncomfortable” when he heard people speaking in other languages on London transport.
- The same year, he said the “basic principle” of Enoch Powell’s infamous anti-immigration “Rivers of Blood” speech was correct.
- On women and work, he also said in 2014: “If a woman with a client base has a child and takes two or three years off work, she is worth far less to the employer when she comes back than when she goes away because her client base cannot be stuck rigidly to her.”
- On the same topic, he added: “Maybe it’s because I’ve got so many women pregnant over the years that I have a different view [of maternity leave].”
- On his political idols, he said: “As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin. The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant.”
- In 2014 Nigel also said he would be concerned if Romanian immigrants moved in next door to him.
- When Britain left the EU in 2016, Nigel boasted that the campaign had been won “without a bullet being fired”. This was eight days after Labour MP Jo Cox was fatally shot.
Interesting.
— Sir Chris Mousse 🇪🇺 🕷🐟 (@ChrisMousse3) November 9, 2023
So, do you respect Farage's 'values'?
From fawning over Putin just after his invasion of Crimea, to showing 'concern' over Jewish influence, to promoting fascist sympathisers, to endorsing white supremacist paedophiles on behalf of his fellow racist pal Steve Bannon? pic.twitter.com/FDJQHWkjYd
The list is endless. Here is a complete history if you're interested.
Farage regularly claims to be on the side of the working class and attacks the fat cats in the inner city. He's best mates with Arron Banks for god sake, his multimillionaire sugar daddy.
In 2009, during a debate at the Foreign Press Association, he was asked what he had claimed in expenses and allowances since becoming an MEP.
Farage answered: "It is a vast sum. I don't know what the total amount is but - oh lord - it must be pushing £2 million."
He also continues to receive an MEP pension, despite being the face of euroscepticism.
Now, this walking hypocrite has the chance to endear himself to the public on the biggest platform possible. Please don't fall for it.
When you see politicians craving celebrity status, you start to mistrust every politician in general. Were they always in it for their material gain?
People like Hancock and Farage should not be turned into memes. Who's it going to be next year? Tommy Robinson? Ramzan Kadyrov?
If I see Nigel Farage miming 'I'm just Ken' on TikTok in the near future, ITV has blood on its hands.
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